Columbus St. Charles Preparatory School students pitched in to help with ongoing renovations at Shepherd’s Corner Ecology Center, an ecological ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. The center’s main labyrinth, used as walking path to foster reflection and spiritual growth, is currently being upgraded.
Shepherd’s Corner includes 160 acres of greenspace that aims to promote peace, natural beauty and spiritual refreshment for souls.
The center’s labyrinth resembles a design similar to the 13th-century Chartres Cathedral, or Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, in Chartres, France, about 50 miles southwest of Paris. In the Middle Ages, individuals who could not make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land did so symbolically by walking the labyrinth.
Shepherd’s Corner Ecology Center mirrors Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, an encyclical written by the late pontiff focused on the importance of care for the natural environment and people’s common home.
The property features diverse habitats, wildlife and native flora as well as chemical-free naturally grown gardens, wetlands and beehives. Animals consists of chickens, a llama and sheep. Two turf labyrinths and a system of walking trails are also included.
St. Charles Preparatory students volunteered to push wheelbarrows of gravel to the path, spreading it on the much-traveled trail, making it more walkable for travelers.
Students Sebastian Buckner and Joey Esh confessed it was hard work, but they said it is good to help the community and religious sisters.
The labyrinth facelift is funded by donors. The project, which will eventually include the addition of native plants, sustainably powered lighting, a bonfire pit and extra parking, is projected to be finished by summer 2026.
Visitors can visit Shepherd’s Corner while renovations ensue. Faithful are invited to walk the St. Catherine of Siena labyrinth near the barn or other trails, and take part in offerings and events at the center.
The Dominican Sisters of Peace, members of the Order of Preachers, are vowed Catholic women who preach the Gospel of Christ through lives of service and peace-making. The congregation is present in 22 states and the country of Nigeria.
Its religious serve God’s people in various ways, including through education, health care, spirituality, pastoral care, prison ministry, the arts and care for creation. About 300 sisters and more than 300 lay women and men are associated with the congregation.
More information about the sisters’ ecological ministry can be found at Homepage -Shepherds Corner – Shepherd’s Corner.